Thursday, February 9, 2012

My kids have been requesting mac and cheese, so I decided to make a giant batch to last them a couple days. They can seriously put away this stuff. As usual, I packed the portions in their thermal food jars; this one is TinySprite's Hello Kitty Thermos brand jar, which holds 10 ounces and has served us well throughout most of her preschool lunch career. I know it doesn't keep the food as hot as long as MisterMan's Stanley food jar, because I've done a nonscientific, side-by-side comparison using hot water and a thermometer. It doesn't really matter for her since she eats within 3 hours or so after I've packed it, but my bigger concern now is that she may be outgrowing this little jar. The last few times I used it, it's come home completely empty -- which is good, of course -- but it just makes me wonder if I could pack a little bit more for her whether she'd eat more.

I've used several different recipes for mac and cheese (like Pioneer Woman's version here and Bacon Mac and Cheese here). Today's mac batch contains three extra ingredients. Can you guess what they might be? Soyrizo, diced kabocha and broccoli! It's not exactly a secret; I've done it before, and anyway I told them I'd put it in, and their reactions were mixed. TS: Yayyy! MM: Did you cut the kabocha super small and mix it in really well? Mmmkay. Can you tell my boy might not appreciate the finer aspects of this wonderful squash as much as my girl? I assured him I did. The other key is to use a lot of cheese. I mean a LOT. Like a whole pound or more. They love the gooey stuff, and I don't think they even noticed that it was whole wheat elbow macaroni. So there. The other container held all fruit, since I was pretty happy with the vegetable load they got in the mac: strawberries, kiwi, cara cara oranges, blueberries, blackberries, and grapes. And, there's a heart. Because it's the month of love. ^_^

Mac and Ka-Brocco-Cheese-Rizo Method/Recipe(I know, not a great name. But can you think of something catchier?)

Cook 8oz (or more if you like) whole wheat elbow macaroni, 10-12 minutes or until just al dente. Drain.
Steam or microwave 5 slices kabocha (or more) and one head of broccoli until softened.
Chop into small dice.
Whisk: 1C milk, 2T whole wheat flour, 1tsp dry mustard, and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6-8 minutes.
Add the diced kabocha and broccoli.
Add a half link (or more, if you like) soyrizo. Stir it all in well.
Add: 1C (or 2C, or more) shredded cheddar, parmesan, or whatever cheese you happen to like. Stir.
Add more cheese if you like it cheesier.
Add pasta, stir to completely incorporate.

16 comments:

That macaroni looks very rich, I can imagine how comforting it feels when eating this meal... I´ve tried to make mac´n cheese a couple of times here but for some reason my girls won´t eat it eagerly :/. Maybe I don't know how to make a proper one :) , will definitely try your recipe!Oh look! There´s a flying heart! Must catch it before Valentine´s ^^

Hmmm, I think it must depend on whether you've got kids who like the cheesy kind of food. I know some that don't even like cheese on pizza, and thus this meal won't be very successful. As for me, I find it a bit bland, and that's why I find the addition of soyrizo (or even regular chorizo) enhances the flavor tremendously. Bacon also does the trick. I haven't remembered to make any special Valentines bento and looks like time is running out.. oops...Thanks L!

I like this mac and cheese has "Ka-Broc" in it. I'm going to make the same way!! More nutritious and I think it's yummy (maybe true mac and cheese lover may not like any other ingredients besides cheese and pasta? I LOVE this idea though!). Thank you for doing non-scientific test about the bento box. I need to find something like that soon.

Nami, true mac and cheese purists balk at anything in there except the creamiest, smoothest cheesiest sauce, and they for sure don't condone whole wheat pasta! But we won't tell them :)I hope your kids like it; I feel so good about them eating it because it's a one-dish pretty well balanced meal in itself, and then I just have to pack fruit besides.Thanks!

Great title :o) And as for the mac&cheese, I would have thought that broccoli would have been a bigger issue the squash, which is usually sweeter and therefore more likeable. The bento look delicous anyway. Maybe you could try packing TinySprite a bigger bento. If she comes home with an empty box, you'll know that she's up for a bigger portion. She's growing up and needs the energy anyway, especially now with her elbow. How's that coming along? Still in high spirits?

Actually, my boy says that broccoli is his favorite vegetable, so that one's not a problem. Maybe it's the texture of the squash; not sure. I'm going to find a bigger thermal for TS. This meal provides a lot of calcium for her healing bones and I imagine them getting stronger every day. She's almost back to her normal kind of activity; you'd be surprised how much she can still do with only one arm! Thanks Ceinwyn!

Kudos to you for getting all those veggies in the Mac n cheese! The fruit looks scrumptious as always and I love the cupid strawberry :D I'm totally impressed that your kids will eat warm food for lunch. A-chan won't even consider eating something until it's all cooled off, which drives me nuts!

So glad you found me too hiraganamama! I hope you find ideas to get you started with bento for your kids. It's a lot of fun and very satisfying once you see how well your kids will begin eating at school. Thank you!

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About Me

I am a former research scientist turned stay-at-home-mom of 2 who got started with bento in an effort to help my kids learn that eating healthy and nutritious foods can be fun and cute. I make a bento lunch for my 14yo (9th grade) son & my 10yo (5th grade) daughter every school day, and post the pictures on my sherimiya ♥ flickr photostream. Here in this blog is where I describe each bento, and you'll also get a peek inside our family adventures. Thanks for taking a look, and please let me know what you think ^-^!